By IANS,
Hyderabad : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is all set to launch a full-fledged probe into the alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy with a special court Wednesday giving its nod to conduct searches at his properties.
A flurry of activity was seen through the day as CBI moved the special court trying CBI cases, seeking warrants to search the premises of Jagan, his companies and the firms which invested in his businesses.
The court also permitted CBI to conduct searches in another case relating to alleged irregularities by Dubai-based realty major Emaar in building a township in Hyderabad.
CBI joint director Lakshminarayana himself explained to the special court the details of the two cases in which the agency already conducted preliminary investigations.
According to sources, CBI identified about 30 locations it wants to search. The locations are in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore and Chennai.
Andhra Pradesh high court last week directed CBI to conduct a full-fledged probe into both the cases.
The federal agency has reportedly constituted a multi-disciplinary team for the probe into Jagan’s assets. It has registered FIR but it was not officially confirmed.
The CBI officials including those from Bangalore and Visakhapatnam held a meeting here to prepare the ground for investigations. The investigating team will work from state-owned Dilkusha Guest House, which also served as the CBI office for probe into multi-crore Satyam fraud.
The CBI stepped up its efforts to launch the investigations even as Jagan moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the high court order. His petition is yet to be listed for hearing.
The high court had ordered a probe against Jagan on petitions filed by a minister in Andhra Pradesh cabinet Shankar Rao and some leaders of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
The court directed CBI to book a case and take up investigations under under Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act against all those involved in the case.
The petitioners alleged that Jagan amassed huge wealth by misusing his position when his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister from 2004 to 2009.
The high court observed that there is prima facie case for thorough probe as many companies made huge investments into Jagan’s businesses as a quid pro quo arrangement in return for the benefits they received from the government.